Forest fire danger remains high Tuesday

The danger of forest fire remains high in New Jersey Tuesday, and a Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service.
With no rain in the forecast, wind gusts of up to 25 mph and low humidity, conditions are perfect for a wildfire to be sparked and quickly spread, especially between noon and 8 p.m.

“That doesn’t mean every tree, bush, and field will spontaneous combust. Rather, if a fire gets started, it will spread quickly and become very difficult to contain,” meteorologist Dan Zarrow said. “That makes it very important for all New Jerseyans to use extreme caution with any outdoor burning. One discarded cigarette could set an entire forest on fire in such conditions.”
Robert Geist, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said “Fires can spread very rapidly if they are not detected suppressed rapidly. If a fire has started in the right fuels, they they can escape control efforts unless we are on the fire within minutes. Dry warm days with winds as we are seeing this week are perfect for fire spread.”
The threat is high throughout the northeast with an area from eastern Pennsylvania to southern New Hampshire under a Red Flag Warning. In New Jersey, Geist said “the Pine Barrens are always a critical area for fire in NJ due to its size and ground fuel resources such as dead trees, limbs and leaves.”

Our Mission:

The mission of the New Jersey Fire Safety Council is to achieve Municipal resiliency through wildfire preparedness and prevention efforts. These efforts are designed to protect residents, reduce property damage and conserve our natural resources.